Footprints: Sea sick, are we?

[Zarvan]

Special Services Group (Navy) commandos display a HVBSS manoeuvre to overpower pirates on board the F-22P frigate PNS Zulfiquar.—Photo by writer

ON BOARD PNS ZULFIQUAR: The dot in the distance starts taking the shape of a speedboat as it approaches the ship en route to Balochistan. On the bridge of the F-22P frigate PNS Zulfiquar, Pakistan Navy officers are trying to make contact with it but to no avail; the boat chooses to ignore the signals. Left with no choice, the captain of the ship orders to engage fire which proves helpful in deterring the approaching vessel. It changes direction and vanishes for a while only to reappear after a few minutes from another direction.

That’s when the missiles on the ship are aimed at it. Following some action and excitement you hear the word ‘splash’ meaning the speedboat is in clear target and would be sunk in a few seconds.

The speedboat in this case is PNS Zarrar and no, the 33-metre-long Multi-Role Tactical Platform (MRTP33) hasn’t really been sunk by the warship. This is just a drill being carried out on Tuesday to show how naval ships defend themselves against approaching threats.

The sea, the most economical route for trade, is under constant threat from smugglers and pirates. PNS Zulfiquar then, playing the role of a defenceless merchant ship, becomes part of a Helicopter Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (HVBSS) demonstration where special force boats patrol around the ship in trouble as Special Services Group (Navy) commandos drop down on the deck from the American twin-engine anti-submarine warfare Sea King helicopter, to search the ship and capture the unwelcome visitors. More excitement follows as the Chinese Harbin Z-9 helicopter, part of the Pakistan Navy’s Air Arm, demonstrates several landings and take-offs from PNS Zulfiquar.

But the manoeuvre drills, no doubt impressive, do not provide answers to the several scathing questions regarding the meagre allocation of budget for the Pakistan Navy. As India concentrates on building a blue-water navy, acquiring more warships, aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines to build up its fleet and exercise sea control at wide ranges, the Pakistan Navy with only a per cent of the defence budget to its name, even struggles to run its day-to-day operations.

Till the 1960s Pakistan had a lively ship-making industry thanks to the Karachi Shipyard but as Commander Pakistan Fleet Vice Admiral Syed Arifullah Hussaini rightly points out, a shipyard requires constant upgrading for it to remain relevant. “Our shipyard was revived by the Pakistan Navy some 10 years ago and putting it back on the right track also helped the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation,” says Vice Admiral Hussaini.

He adds, “To run a shipyard you need to run it like the corporate sector. The Karachi Shipyard stood on its own legs after it got the Navy’s contract for building destroyers. We want shipbuilding to progress here but even though the Karachi Shipyard is doing better, it is not deep enough to build bigger sea vessels. A shipyard at Gwadar Port and Port Qasim would have more scope. For years and years everything to do with prosperity has been linked to shipping and the sea.”

Apart from the nine Pakistan Merchant Navy carriers, the country relies on foreign flag carriers for trade purposes but the foreign ships may or may not carry the cargo in war-like situations. Therefore, Pakistan also needs to build on its merchant navy fleet.

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a $46 billion mega project, with a 3,000-kilometre network of roads, railways and oil and gas pipelines from Gwadar Port to Kashgar city in China, has the potential to change the face of Pakistan as it becomes the biggest recipient of China’s outbound investment. But what about the safety of the maritime silk route, the passage from where the ships would reach Gwadar Port?

Navy’s Director Public Relations North Commander Zakir Hussain Khan, also on board PNS Zulfiquar for the exercise drills, wonders if the Navy would be in a position to provide the security needed for the kind of sea traffic expected in the region by 2020.

“Although the Pakistan Navy doesn’t want to get into the arms race, we want credible deterrence. We want to be able to guard our national interests,” says the Commander Naval Fleet.

Still, looking at the Navy’s budget as compared to the amount being spent on developing land infrastructure makes one wonder if the government is biased against the sea.

Published in Dawn, January 8th, 2016

Footprints: Sea sick, are we? | Pakistan Post


@Rashid Mahmood @fatman17 @Khafee @Horus @AUSTERLITZ

 

[Tipu7]

A sorrow ful thing to discuss.

We have learned nothing big from 71 naval war experience. Our navy is good enough to battle pirates or smugglers, but it stand no chance against Indian navy...... irony......

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

It is not just Pakistan most muslim countries have no navy and the answer lie when you review history of Turkey and Naval blockade of Trade channels (Tax was collected) by Turkish Empire for Navy Routes

 

[Talwar e Pakistan]

Special Services Group (Navy) commandos display a HVBSS manoeuvre to overpower pirates on board the F-22P frigate PNS Zulfiquar.—Photo by writer

ON BOARD PNS ZULFIQUAR: The dot in the distance starts taking the shape of a speedboat as it approaches the ship en route to Balochistan. On the bridge of the F-22P frigate PNS Zulfiquar, Pakistan Navy officers are trying to make contact with it but to no avail; the boat chooses to ignore the signals. Left with no choice, the captain of the ship orders to engage fire which proves helpful in deterring the approaching vessel. It changes direction and vanishes for a while only to reappear after a few minutes from another direction.

That’s when the missiles on the ship are aimed at it. Following some action and excitement you hear the word ‘splash’ meaning the speedboat is in clear target and would be sunk in a few seconds.

The speedboat in this case is PNS Zarrar and no, the 33-metre-long Multi-Role Tactical Platform (MRTP33) hasn’t really been sunk by the warship. This is just a drill being carried out on Tuesday to show how naval ships defend themselves against approaching threats.

The sea, the most economical route for trade, is under constant threat from smugglers and pirates. PNS Zulfiquar then, playing the role of a defenceless merchant ship, becomes part of a Helicopter Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (HVBSS) demonstration where special force boats patrol around the ship in trouble as Special Services Group (Navy) commandos drop down on the deck from the American twin-engine anti-submarine warfare Sea King helicopter, to search the ship and capture the unwelcome visitors. More excitement follows as the Chinese Harbin Z-9 helicopter, part of the Pakistan Navy’s Air Arm, demonstrates several landings and take-offs from PNS Zulfiquar.

But the manoeuvre drills, no doubt impressive, do not provide answers to the several scathing questions regarding the meagre allocation of budget for the Pakistan Navy. As India concentrates on building a blue-water navy, acquiring more warships, aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines to build up its fleet and exercise sea control at wide ranges, the Pakistan Navy with only a per cent of the defence budget to its name, even struggles to run its day-to-day operations.

Till the 1960s Pakistan had a lively ship-making industry thanks to the Karachi Shipyard but as Commander Pakistan Fleet Vice Admiral Syed Arifullah Hussaini rightly points out, a shipyard requires constant upgrading for it to remain relevant. “Our shipyard was revived by the Pakistan Navy some 10 years ago and putting it back on the right track also helped the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation,” says Vice Admiral Hussaini.

He adds, “To run a shipyard you need to run it like the corporate sector. The Karachi Shipyard stood on its own legs after it got the Navy’s contract for building destroyers. We want shipbuilding to progress here but even though the Karachi Shipyard is doing better, it is not deep enough to build bigger sea vessels. A shipyard at Gwadar Port and Port Qasim would have more scope. For years and years everything to do with prosperity has been linked to shipping and the sea.”

Apart from the nine Pakistan Merchant Navy carriers, the country relies on foreign flag carriers for trade purposes but the foreign ships may or may not carry the cargo in war-like situations. Therefore, Pakistan also needs to build on its merchant navy fleet.

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a $46 billion mega project, with a 3,000-kilometre network of roads, railways and oil and gas pipelines from Gwadar Port to Kashgar city in China, has the potential to change the face of Pakistan as it becomes the biggest recipient of China’s outbound investment. But what about the safety of the maritime silk route, the passage from where the ships would reach Gwadar Port?

Navy’s Director Public Relations North Commander Zakir Hussain Khan, also on board PNS Zulfiquar for the exercise drills, wonders if the Navy would be in a position to provide the security needed for the kind of sea traffic expected in the region by 2020.

“Although the Pakistan Navy doesn’t want to get into the arms race, we want credible deterrence. We want to be able to guard our national interests,” says the Commander Naval Fleet.

Still, looking at the Navy’s budget as compared to the amount being spent on developing land infrastructure makes one wonder if the government is biased against the sea.

Published in Dawn, January 8th, 2016

Footprints: Sea sick, are we? | Pakistan Post


@Rashid Mahmood @fatman17 @Khafee @Horus @AUSTERLITZ

Our navy is good enough to defend our coasts against an Indian attack. Remember; the Indian navy may be big but it is also thinned and spread out - a concentrated Naval force on our Eastern sea boundaries are capable of thwarting a Indian naval attack with support from land and air.

 

[tested]

Our navy is good enough to defend our coasts against an Indian attack. Remember; the Indian navy may be big but it is also thinned and spread out - a concentrated Naval force on our Eastern sea boundaries are capable of thwarting a Indian naval attack with support from land and air.

You are mistaking the Indian Naval posture with Land posture.

Unlike the Army, Indian Navy faces zero threat from any other country in Indian Ocean now- from Bangladesh to Myanmar to Thailand to Singapore to Indonesia - every single country in the Oceanic rim is now not just a bystander, but a friend of India.

Therefore, the Navy when attacking Pakistan would join together. The Navy has not only demonstrated this but also keeps practicing this exact maneuver with a view to reduce the time taken for the Eastern Fleet and Western Fleet to come together off the Western sea board of India.

Currently, it takes a maximum of 24 hours for both the fleets to merge.

 

[Talwar e Pakistan]

You are mistaking the Indian Naval posture with Land posture.

Unlike the Army, Indian Navy faces zero threat from any other country in Indian Ocean now- from Bangladesh to Myanmar to Thailand to Indonesia - every single country in the Oceanic rim is now a friend of India.

Therefore, the Navy when attacking Pakistan would join together. The Navy has not only demonstrated this but also keeps practicing this exact maneuver with a view to reduce the time taken for the Eastern Fleet and Western Fleet to come together off the Western sea board of India.

Currently, it takes a maximum of 24 hours for both the fleets to merge.

That isnt likely, India will keep a quarter of its fleet on the Eastern bloc. Even so, Pakistan will be able to halt or thwart an Indian naval attack as long as it will recieve land and air support from Sindh and Balochistan.

 

[tested]

That isnt likely, India will keep a quarter of its fleet on the Eastern bloc.

And you have come to this figure based on?

Even so, Pakistan will be able to halt or thwart an Indian naval attack as long as it will recieve land and air support from Sindh and Balochistan.

Also conjecture...and sounds more of wishing on your part.

The disparity between the firepower of Indian Navy and Pakistani Navy is growing, not reducing.

 

[Talwar e Pakistan]

And you have come to this figure based on?


Also conjecture...and sounds more of wishing on your part.

The disparity between the firepower of Indian Navy and Pakistani Navy is growing, not reducing.

You dont seem to have much knowledge in Naval warfare; if a "naval war" broke out between Russia and US, you think that the US will send ALL of its fleet to the west coast? No; they would keep at least a quarter or half as a 'garrison' or 'reserve' force on their eastern coast and other strategic areas. A Chinese relief force or a Pakistani submarines (with the right stealth) could wreak havoc upon India's East coast.

Also the disparity is decreasing, we ordered eight S-20 variants of the Type-039A/Type-041 submarine(one of the most advanced subs out there) ; four "Improved F-22P" frigates equipped with enhanced sensors and weaponry (possibly including the HQ-17 surface-to-air missile developed from the Russian Tor 1/SA-N-9); and six Type-022 Houbei stealth catamaran missile boats, to be built by Pakistan's state-owned shipbuilder Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works (KSEW) and all this within a period of a couple months.

As terrorist presence in Pakistan is significantly decreasing and Operation Zarb e Azb is almost complete, there will be massive budget allocations. We've lost 70 billion dollars in the War on terrorism, that is enough to procure 35 Aircraft carriers(not that we have the need for one).

 

[Khafee]

And you have come to this figure based on?


Also conjecture...and sounds more of wishing on your part.

The disparity between the firepower of Indian Navy and Pakistani Navy is growing, not reducing.

It is brash & foolhardy statements like this that drives nations to war.

Remember : Never underestimate the enemy.

 

[tarrar]

PN should acquire Type 52 & 55 navy ships from China, to enhance the security of CPEC & the province.

 

[wiseone2]

That isnt likely, India will keep a quarter of its fleet on the Eastern bloc. Even so, Pakistan will be able to halt or thwart an Indian naval attack as long as it will recieve land and air support from Sindh and Balochistan.

It depends on what you mean by a quarter of its fleet

What does it mean to thwart an Indian naval attack ?

Indian navy's objective is to blockade Pakistani coast not to invade Pakistan.

You dont seem to have much knowledge in Naval warfare; if a "naval war" broke out between Russia and US, you think that the US will send ALL of its fleet to the west coast? No; they would keep at least a quarter or half as a 'garrison' or 'reserve' force on their eastern coast and other strategic areas. A Chinese relief force or a Pakistani submarines (with the right stealth) could wreak havoc upon India's East coast.

Also the disparity is decreasing, we ordered eight S-20 variants of the Type-039A/Type-041 submarine(one of the most advanced subs out there) ; four "Improved F-22P" frigates equipped with enhanced sensors and weaponry (possibly including the HQ-17 surface-to-air missile developed from the Russian Tor 1/SA-N-9); and six Type-022 Houbei stealth catamaran missile boats, to be built by Pakistan's state-owned shipbuilder Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works (KSEW) and all this within a period of a couple months.

As terrorist presence in Pakistan is significantly decreasing and Operation Zarb e Azb is almost complete, there will be massive budget allocations. We've lost 70 billion dollars in the War on terrorism, that is enough to procure 35 Aircraft carriers(not that we have the need for one).

Pakistani submarines would have a hard time escaping the Indian navy ASW dragnet

 

[niaz]

We can indulge in as much ‘Wishful thinking’ as we would like, at least on paper, the position is that in an India / Pakistan conflict; Pakistan Army would be able to withstand Indian attacks at least in the short term. PAF may not be strong enough for deep penetration, but is probably capable of denying air superiority to Indian Airforce over the battlefield.

Our naval assets are barely enough to defend littoral waters. Until we induct the additional Chinese submarines, IMO Pak Navy does not enough sufficient strength to threaten Indian Navy in the blue water. Even then, I can’t envisage Pakistan Navy capable of protecting Pakistan bound merchant vessels during war time in the Gulf of Aden for example.

Let us face it; Pak Navy is in the urgent need of modernisation. However with the limited resources, we have to make do with what we have. Hope fully with the land round to West via Iran and to the East via KK highway; failure to keep deep sea lanes clear would not undermine Pakistan’ war efforts too much.

 

[Ankit Kumar]

Pakistan Navy has utilised the Z9 very well. It may not be the best helicopter out there but it is surely being used to do all its envisioned tasks very well.
Not all will agree but I see Pakistan navy replacing their Westland Seaking too with these only. While Alouttes do the support roles.
I wanted to ask , has PN used the Z9s upon its lone OHP?